'The game has changed': How props became the most sought-after players in rugby league

Shane Flanagan has watched the NRL change before his eyes. 

From a world where giant props dominated to one in which smaller, more mobile forwards took control, rugby league is nearly unrecognisable from a decade ago.

The change has accelerated in the last few years as the introduction of set restarts increased the speed of the game and brought fatigue back into the contest.

In some respects, Flanagan was ahead of the curve. The coach utilised a one-two punch of Andrew Fifita and Paul Gallen to devastating effect on the path to Cronulla's drought-breaking 2016 premiership. 

Fifita will always be remembered for his grand final-winning try, but it was his mobility and footwork that made him unique.

Fast-forward to 2026 and no club can compete for a premiership without an elite middle forward. 

"The game has changed so much over the last couple of years," Flanagan told NRL.com. "Size is important but mobility has become more important.

"Nearly every club has one or two middle forwards that aren't that big but they're really mobile and they get the job done. 

"You need that player who can get you forward but still have mobility and agility defensively. It's changed from the big, cumbersome front rower to more agile players. There are still some 120kg players out there, but they've got some mobility about them."

It was this knowledge that led the Dragons to chase the signature of Keaon Koloamatangi throughout the past few months. 

Elite middle forwards are few and far between and they don't come on the market very often.

Multiple clubs were desperate to recruit the NSW and Australian representative, with the Red V eventually luring him away from the Rabbitohs. 

In announcing Koloamatangi's signing on a five-year contract from 2027, Dragons CEO Tim Watsford labelled the deal a "transformative moment" for the club. 

Flanagan shares his boss' hopes as he looks to turn St George Illawarra into a perennial premiership contender.

"The way he trains, the way he prepares and the way he plays is elite," Flanagan said. "We've got a few young middle forwards who are at the start of their career, so it's exciting to see him lead those guys next year."

The frenzy to sign Koloamatangi came just 12 months after Addin Fonua-Blake arrived at the Sharks on a lucrative high-profile deal. 

A three-time Dally M Prop of the Year, the Tongan skipper found himself at the centre of a similar recruitment tug-of-war after it was announced 2024 would be his last year at the Warriors. 

Fonua-Blake's impact on the Sharks was immediate. The 30-year-old led the league in post-contact metres and had more run metres than any other prop in 2025.

Crucially, his impact was felt beyond the stats sheet. Fonua-Blake's presence opened up space for his teammates to attack and provided the platform for hooker Blayke Brailey to have the best year of his career. 

The dummy-half was rewarded with a place in the Kangaroos Ashes squad and praised the prop for his impact on both sides of the ball. 

"Playing against him, he's so hard to handle," Brailey said. "For me to now be able to pass him the ball and get him into those one-on-one situations, it makes our side so much stronger. 

"We have some exceptional middles and our bench middles are stars in their own right. We've got a really balanced team and our middles are going to be a strength for us going into this year."

The desperation to sign elite middle forwards reflects the simple principle of supply and demand.

A dearth of props has emerged at the same time they have taken on an even greater role in a new era of fast-paced rugby league.

The introduction of set restarts in 2020 effectively blunted the impact of big lumbering props overnight. In their place came the mobile forwards who can play big minutes and generate go forward.

The sudden change in the way the game is played led to a shortage of front rowers designed for the modern style.

Throw in the fact props typically don't reach their prime until their late 20s or early 30s and clubs were scrambling to play catch up.

So while props have traditionally toiled away in anonymity while try-scoring backs attracted all the headlines, and the lucrative contracts, the needle is starting to shift 

That, according to Cronulla middle Toby Rudolf is long overdue.

"Everyone sees who scores the tries but the middle forwards are the guys taking all the collisions," Rudolf said. "We're doing all the defensive work, we're exhausting ourselves to the point we have to get off the field. 

"To be a middle is the most thankless task and without us there's no game. There's no people scoring amazing tries on the sideline, there's no Cam Munster or Billy Slater without middle forwards doing the hard work."

Look around the league and every premiership contender has an elite middle forward, or two, on the books. 

It's a fact not lost on Flanagan, who credits Fifita and Gallen for delivering the Sharks their first title. 

Payne Haas laid a similar platform for Brisbane's drought-breaking title last year. At Penrith it's Moses Leota, the Roosters have Naufahu Whyte, who has flourished since taking over from Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. In Canberra it's Joe Tapine and at the Storm it's Stefano Utoikamanu.  

The Bulldogs hope new recruit Leo Thompson will fill the role this season in what could be the final piece of their premiership puzzle.

Having allowed Fonua-Blake to return to Sydney for family reasons, the Warriors went out and snared James Fisher-Harris from the Panthers. 

The Kiwis skipper instantly formed a potent one-two punch with Mitch Barnett that rocketed the side into the top eight last year. 

It was no coincidence the Warriors' charge to the finals stuttered the moment Barnett went down with an ACL injury in Round 13, a blow that was compounded four weeks later when halfback Luke Metcalf also tore his ACL. 

The impact of Barnett's injury was also felt in the representative arena, with NSW struggling to replace the veteran prop in the second and third games of an Origin series they lost after leading 1-0.

The forward is looking to return to the field in the Warriors' season-opening clash with the Roosters, providing a major boost to the side's 2026 campaign.

The 31-year-old's path to club co-captain hasn't been a smooth one, with injuries and off-field struggles contributing to a challenging start to his career.

"Being in the middle, it's physically and mentally hard every week," Barnett said. "You need a lot of luck with injury as well.

"All positions are hard, they've all got their different challenges but if you're in the middle, you've got to be really fit, you've got to be strong and you've got to have good skill nowadays.

"In the middle you've got to be a lot more well-rounded, whereas in other positions you can not have some things and still be a top player. In terms of hardest position on the field, middle would physically be the hardest."

Barnett views his move from Newcastle to the Warriors as the turning point in his career and he hasn't looked back. Now in a leadership role, he's embraced the opportunity to mentor a talented crop of emerging forwards in Auckland. 

Leka Halasima and Demitric Vaimauga were two of the breakout stars of 2025 and will likely play a pivotal role in the side's quest for a maiden premiership this year. 

At just 20 and 21 years old, respectively, the duo are still far from the finished product. That, according to Barnett, highlights how good they can be for the Warriors throughout the next decade.

"You need to have a good group of senior players and an environment for forwards to get better and really develop," Barnett said.

"Those two guys took their opportunity last year. They showed they were well and truly ready for the NRL. There's going to be errors in their games and they might have low patches but they're still young. 

"This year, next year, the next few years, look out NRL, they'll be firing."

The Dragons have similar hopes for a young core of emerging forwards featuring the Couchman twins, Hamish Stewart, Dylan Egan and Loko Pasifiki Tonga. 

Throw in Koloamatangi and they are well-placed to join a small genuine group of premiership contenders. 

It's a club only those with an elite middle forward can claim to be part of.